Dr. J (dad) and Mama J (mom)

Inspirations.

To Stories.

I'll begin with apologies for not blogging about Turkey, Delphi, our last excursion cruise to the Greek Islands. I want to tell you all about these stories; about things I saw, things I learned, and experiences GALORE. Good experiences. Experiences filled with sunsets that drew tears, talks with friends that strengthened relationships, and times of reflection that made me realize what happened this semester. 


This chapter is now coming to a close. I leave at 8am tomorrow morning for a 16-day journey through Europe. Somehow I managed to pack all my belongings into one suitcase and carefully selected a few "necessary" items for my free travel. The goodbyes are beginning. I honestly feel right now as if it were 3 months ago, I blinked, and now I'm here. This morning I walked down the streets of Porto Rafti to the bakery that changed...everything...and had to say goodbye to some dear friends. Standing in the bakery listening to Thaneses tell me in Greek that God was in my heart, bringing tears (lots of tears!) to my eyes, I realized what this semester gave me. My eyes have been "unveiled," in a sense, and I feel as if I've been given a fresh perspective to live my life in. To take in everything, to create deeper relationships, to create MORE relationships, to climb more mountains, to watch more sunrises, to cry openly, to share your heart openly, to even give the angry, Greek woman the last Bougatza. I have learned more lessons than I ever realized I would when I left America in January. The thing is, it's not over. This is one part of my STORY, with which I plan on continuing to be purposeful with and intentionally working to make it great, to do things that will make God smile, to find ways to create joy. I can tell you all about ancient ruin sites I've seen, what the political tension feels like in Jerusalem, how beautiful Mykonos is...but there will never be a way for me to tell you what 'happened' this semester. How do you explain a change of heart? You don't. You live it. So that's what I hope will happen. 


Hopefully, I will be able to keep you all informed of where I am over the course of the next 16 days! Please keep us in your prayers. Oh and a shout out for my sister Erika. She is going on a medical mission trip to Belize in 4 weeks!! I would be extremely thankful for your prayers and financial support for her. We're all living our own stories...this is a part of hers! Love you all!!!! 


"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life." - Awake My Soul. 

Delphi

I know I have yet to write about my trip to Turkey and Delphi, so to hold over you avid blog readers of mine, here is a picture of the famous Gallio Inscription at Delphi. This one piece of stone is solid archaeological evidence that Paul was in Corinth in 51 AD. Pretty cool in my opinion. If you can read Greek, take a stab at this one. See if you can find it!

Poets

With my dear friends Bethy and Bonnie on our day trip into Athens. They got their SECOND pair of Poet sandals! :)

The view from where I'm sitting....No Big Deal.

For those of you who don't visit my facebook photos on a regular basis (Specifically for Momaw & Popaw) :) I add this photo. View from the coffee shop. Amazing, right?

"Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay"

Bonnie and I are enjoying the beautiful weather we're having in Porto Rafti and are sitting out by the water at a local coffee shop. I am soaking in the smell of the Aegean that the slight breeze brings in. Give Greeks a little sun, and they will come. Even though very little (or no...) homework is being done, there is nothing better than enjoying God's creation. I'd say that's a pretty good excuse to procrastinate. We only have 6 weeks left in the incredibly country of Greece and are taking in every moment. Since it is finally warming up a bit, the moment classes are finished everyone disperses to somewhere outside. Loving. It.

Carnival!

Opa! Carnival is here!

This past weekend was the last weekend for the celebration Carnival! In summary, it is a celebration to get all the "crazy" out before Lent begins. With a lot of people gone for the weekend, there was only a small group of us who went into Athens to take part in the festivities. Three of us had been galavanting around Athens all day, so close to 8pm we met up with Mama J & Dr. J. In Athens, carnival mostly consists of people of all ages dressing up in weird, or not-so-werid costumes, goofy hats, or masks. You then proceed to walk around the streets of Athens throwing confetti in people's faces, spraying shaving cream on them, or the most common, hitting them with a plastic bat. As we would say, it's all very GREEK! Randomness at it's finest. We also met up with Deano, our friend and preacher from the congregation we attend, and he took us to a greek taverna. Greeks eat very late at night so most people go to eat, but we just sat and waited for the entertainment to begin. We saw many folk dances, heard many songs, and got to just see a lot of the Greek culture. It was so much fun! We even got to go up on stage and do the traditional Greek dances with them! We had no idea what we were doing but it was a lot of fun. Speaking of, this week the whole group is learning some Greek dances. A teacher is coming to the Artemis (our house) to teach us! So we were at this taverna till close to midnight and as we were walking back to the car we continued to get confetti thrown at us - and do the same to others! It was such a great night. Today is "clean Monday". All the stores are closed and most people go out to fly kites (no one knows why...) but its raining as of now so hopefully it'll let off so we can enjoy the traditions of clean Monday! Opa! Opa!

Thaneeses Making Colorie!

The Psomi That Changes Everything

Most times I've blogged, it's out of duty. The mere fact that I know of a select few who are, I am sure, waiting impatiently at their computers to see what wonderful words I have to share next. (That's you mom, and Melanie Barr.) But today I write because I want to share what has been some of my most treasured moments here in Porto Rafti. Something that is more than just seeing a great view of the water, or trying a new cultural food. Something that I can take home with me. Thanks to our future baker in the group, Kelcey, who I am grateful is friendly beyond measure. Shortly after we had settled in she became good friends with some workers at a bakery just down the street. No one knows how she builds these relationships so quickly, but boy am I glad she does! It was finally my turn (yes, there was a waiting list!) to accompany Kelcey early, I repeat EARLY, in the morning to the bakery. She had already been several times at this point and had talked and talked about how wonderful it was to watch Thaneeses bake bread at 5am, but even more so, to make some amazing new friends. So I went one morning for the first time. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had! They were already at work. Pastries were done. Bread was being created. Zoe welcomed us in like family and gave us her cappuccino (best one in Porto Rafti!) along with some breads for breakfast. The 2 hours of watching flew by. To sit in the back with them, hustling about, they talked to us and taught us some Greek words, as we taught them some English words. Kelcey just jumps in picking up dough and helping along the way. I did not realize how much these people affected me until I went back to the bakery a few days later to get a breakfast pastry. Zoe was so excited to see me, gave me hugs and kisses and was just asking how I was doing. Time and time again I return and am more amazed every time at their generosity and love for us. There is absolutely no reason for how they treat us, nothing to require them to be so incredibly generous or kind. They just are. It makes me think about how I treat others. Zoe and Thaneeses know nothing about us, but treat us like family. To go deeper, as Christians should we not be doing the same to everyone we come across? To treat them with such love, with no expectations, no requirements? Coming to Greece, I expected many things. So much to see, to do, to learn. But never did I realize it would be something like this. I could rant all day about these wonderful new friends, which I do... I wish you all could meet someone like this that will affect you so much. It is amazing how much a "stranger" can impact your life. How much WE could impact someone's life. :) 

Floating away in the Dead Sea.

Shalom!

Being reminded of the current date, I have realized how in need my blog is of an update on our latest travels! (Side note: Melanie Barr I hope you enjoy reading this.) I don't even know where to begin!! On Monday we returned from our 10-day journey to Israel, The Holy Land. Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start...)

Day 1: We left Athens Sunday morning, and endured extensive security checks at the airport.  Soon we arrived in the beautiful Tel Aviv! The beach and sunset here were absolutely breathtaking. Nic and I rejoiced greatly with each other at our first sighting of McDonald's. We spent a total of $20 on a few "dollar menu" items, now aware of exchange rates, and I received my first sheckle! Sunday afternoon, with our amazing guide Yossi, we toured the town of Jaffa. We stayed the night in Tel Aviv and left in the morning for the beginning of a non-stop adventure. 

Day 2: Monday morning we left for Caesarea Maritime where we saw an ancient port, with lots of ancient ruins to accompany it, of course. We began to make biblical connections here. We have a journal (referred to as our "moleskin") that we are supposed to take notes in, but I will say most students quickly lost interest in this task! Later we visited Mt. Carmel, and then the town of Nazareth. Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday night we stayed at our first kabbutz. These were very interesting villages. More or less a community of people who all work together...to make it work. 

Day 3: Tuesday we visited Capernaum, which had MANY ruins. It was actually very interesting seeing the structure of this area. We also went to the Mt. of Beatitudes, which was probably one of my favorite things of the trip. We saw briefly the church there, but proceeded to get off the beaten path (literally) and hiked down a hill through enormous amounts of mud. It was not uncommon on this trip for Yossi to take us to non-tourist places (away from "tourist traps" as he would tell us). This hike landed us at a beautiful part of the hill with views of the valley and the Sea of Galilee. Yes, Jesus and his disciples once trudged through here. Today we also went to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. WOW! It is so beautiful. We could have all stayed by its side for hours. After a dip in the waters, we later went on a boat ride on the sea. We sang our "HUG" song, Magnificat. None of us wanted to leave. But, alas, good ole' Yos keeps ya going. This is really all I remember of that day. 

Day 4: Wednesday we went to Tel Dan. We went on a hike through the woods and followed the spring that runs through it. We also went to Caesarea Philippi, where Erin dropped her camera in the water. (I have to use memorable events to distinguish between all the places!) 

Day 5: Thursday we went to the banks of the Jordan River. Also one of my top places. There is only a small portion of the river that actually belongs to Israel. After reading in the scripture so many times about this Jordan River, it was amazing to see it in person. So calm. So alive. It was beautiful. After this we entered into the desert!! I fell asleep on the bus to the green, rolling hills of Israel and woke up to the tan, rocky hills of the desert. This is the Israel we all imagine. We visited Beth She'an and ended our day at our 2nd kabbutz by the Dead Sea. 

Day 6: (Whew I need to summarize more...) Friday I remember, because there were flash flood warnings (Yes, in the desert!). So after learning that 95% of the people who die in the desert because of flash floods, we continue up the mountains. Our trip to EnGedi was cancelled because it was closed. We went on our 2nd desert walk today. We also visited Qumran, and ended our day at the Dead Sea. Which, might I add, was the best and worst experience of my life. Close your eyes. Imagine the story I am about to tell. Nic and I, holding hands, walk into the sea, laughing and ready to experience the floating and awesome dead sea mud. After we get to knee deep waters, the smiles are washed out by a wave of pure salt. The wailing begins. Now slipping on the mud/clay floor with every move, feet are flying in the air and the burning commences. We finally (with no ease at all) make it to the rest of the group, experience a few moments of floating, and continue to scream from burning throats and eyes which feel on fire. Consider yourself warned, do not enter the Dead Sea with contacts in. It was fun to float, and especially to rub dead sea mud all over ourselves, but I would never want to experience the pain again. Luckily Nic and I looked after each other as we took turns being blind. No need to say we disturbed the peace that other swimmers once had. :) 

Day 7-rest of the trip: Jerusalem here we come!! I am going to combine all our days in Jerusalem and give you the highlights (as I recall them). The Garden of Gethsemane. An amazing place. There are 2 sides to the garden. A private side, which we went in, and a touristy side. In the private garden, there were people everywhere praying, olive trees constantly above you, and a peace that is hard to find within Jerusalem. The Garden Tomb. While there is no way to say if this is where Jesus was buried, it was great to see the sort of tomb he would have been laid in. The Wailing Wall. Such a cultural experience! With hundreds of men and women praying at the location nearest the "Holy of Holies", we actually went down to the wall and witnessed the prayers and notes being placed in the wall. The Market. Shopping!!! So much fun and quite an experience. I actually got proposed to because the seller said he liked me because I asked for a scarf for free. :) The Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Not a fan. These buildings are very gaudy and full of people worshipping walls, oil lamps, pictures, etc. I was very overwhelmed here. The Church of the Nativity. Not as adorned, but just as gaudy as they all are. Here we viewed the 14-point star, where legends say was the location of the birth of Jesus. Interesting to see. While staying in Jerusalem, we visited Bethlehem. Seeing the wall separating Israel and Palestine was quite a wake-up call. The town did not have a ton of things to see but I am definitely glad I got to go. A lot of political images. 

We saw SOOO much on this trip. Knowing that this is a mere summary of all that we saw I only hope I will be able to remember Israel as I saw it with my own eyes. I loved Israel. It was beautiful in so many ways. I really had no idea what to expect going into it and was surprised constantly at all that Israel holds. I cannot wait to go back!! 

Tomorrow we are taking a day trip to Marathon & Brauron, and then next Thursday we leave for a 3-day trip to the Peloponnese! It's non-stop from here! 

Bonnie and I shopping in the Plaka in Athens.

Preparing for Israel!

It's been a few days since I've blogged. All the days sort of run together so it is difficult to recall what I haven't told you about or what events have happened! This past week has been mostly consisting of classes, homework, and taking it easy in Porto Rafti. Today Bonnie and I went into Athens to shop in the Plaka. Verses going in on a weekday we had a lot more time to just take our time and really absorb the atmosphere. A lot more people were out and about today - a great time for observing European fashions! Some moments we convinced ourselves that we blended in with the groups as we said, "Yasas!" to store owners we passed by, however we were quickly brought back to reality when a couple approached us by a shop and asked if we were American. They were very exciting to see fellow Americans so we had a nice chat with them. We also visited a shop with a woman who Bonnie had visited a pervious day. Stella, was very excited to see her again and meet me. She and the store owner enjoyed helping us learn a few extra greek words and phrases. Tonight I will be packing for our 10-day excursion to Israel. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning and will return to "home" the day after Valentine's. Knowing we are leaving for a time and being able to look forward to returning to the Artemis really does make it feel like "home", which is very comforting. With little to zero internet in Israel, you won't hear from me till I am back, so I hope you are looking forward to hearing all about my experience in Israel as I am to discover it! Who would have thought I'd ever have this opportunity? Not me. I am blessed beyond words to be here and to be seeing and learning so much. I only expect much more to come :) Until I return ... S'agapo! 

My Pink Lemonade House. Love everything about it!

When in Greece, we eat!

My current life slogan to live by: when in Greece, we eat! I asked Vicki if "eat" was a Greek word and she laughed and said no, then said I was worse than her at saying everything is a Greek word! We eat (I eat) quite a lot here! I always have an enjoyable experience at "my bakery." The woman, whom we now know as Sophia, AGAIN gave us free pastries! I am amazed at her generosity. All the more reason for me to go all the time so I can pay her back for all these free strawberry tarts she supplies me with! After classes today a small group of us ventured to our neighboring town Markopoulo for a few hours. We did not realize that most stores close for a few hours in the late afternoon so there was really not much to do but it was fun to get out and see a new town. The homework load is piling up, unfortunately. Its a huge battle balancing doing homework and enjoying every moment here. Nobody wants to miss out on anything in this family-style setting at the Artemis. It is difficult to grasp the idea that I've only been here just shy of two weeks. It has gone by fast, yet I feel certain I've been in Greece for a month! Thanks for reading! Missing everyone at home. 

IKEA!

Yasas! After viewing my recent blog stats I have come prepared with something a little more interesting to write about today! Yesterday (Saturday) after classes myself and 3 other girls with with Dr. J and Mama-J on a little family shopping trip! We went to a nearby town and visited the Famous Brands Outlet - HUGE! It is basically a big warehouse of every high-end brand there is at outlet prices. Now, most things are still quite pricey, but it is a lot of fun to look and occasionally find a great deal! For my converse-loving friends out there - this is the place to go! Then we went across the street to IKEA, my new favorite love! Some of you may know we actually have these in the US. I did not know that and this was my first time. AMAZING! They had every thing you could possibly need for your house. We had a lot of fun going around and choosing our favorite room designs! Then we met up with Dr. J, who was waiting at the Akea food area where he bought us all drinks and some sort of foreign chocolate. For dinner we were given money to go out and eat on our own. I got my first Gyros! Yum! Demitries (family taverna down the road) makes excellent gyros and always gives us HUGgers his wife's famous walnut cake for FREE! They are so nice to us. Our waiter, who spoke no english, said "thank you" (yes, in English!) when we left and we talked about how much we loved him for the rest of the night. Good day in Porto Rafti! Today is a lazy day. Hopefully some homework will get done and then worshipping in Glyfada tonight! I look forward to that! Efharisto! 

At "The Point" in Porto Rafti

The Day of Absolutely Nothing

Today nothing happened. Apart from rain. More rain. And more rain. I woke up, had breakfast and a cup of coffee, went back upstairs, got ready, came down and went to chapel, fell asleep on the couch before class, had 2 classes and a 2nd cup of coffee, had lunch (yummy chicken burgers!), settled in to do some homework, eventually got my 3rd cup of coffee (by this point it was just to give me something to do), and did basically nothing all day. Vicki says once the rain starts, it doesn't stop for days! And today it sure didn't stop. Our power went out for several hours in the middle of the day and that was pretty exciting. At one point me and two friends bundled up and walked down to the bakery where I got my favorite item. The worker was someone new who spoke no english so after struggling through some language barriers she ended up giving me my strawberry tart for free! Very nice of her. They will receive a lot of business from me this semester. Probably one of the most exciting things was I got to skype with Bethany for about an hour! We caught up and talked about living arrangements next year. We're all very excited. Tonight I struggled keeping myself occupied. I did more homework but eventually settled around a table with some new friends and we each shared our life story. What a grand day. In contrast to our usually busy, active days where I end the day exhausted, I now find myself not tired at all. Blog completed! 

Relaxing in Porto Rafti!

Yesterday was a slow day here in Porto Rafti. After a good run in the morning we had classes and were finished by lunch. In the afternoon a small group of us went down to the sea and settled into a coffee shop called The Bistro. We had some true Greek coffee there. I got the famous "frappe". I wasn't sure what to expect but we know for certain all our drinks were very strong. They make their coffee with the grinds in it so there is a constant sludge on the bottom of your cup - yeah you're not supposed to drink that. Also while we were there we heard quite a disturbing scene on the roof. A cat was attacked and we are pretty sure it died by the sounds of it. I am NOT making this up! Our waiter did not speak a lick of english so that was an interesting situation! Bonnie and I were left to work out the bill on our own - it doesn't help that greeks in general are not too facially expressive so with every english word we said or acted out the waiter seemed possibly offended, or just uninterested. Quite a learning experience, though! On our walk back to the Artemis we witnessed a beautiful sunset - the colors here are amazing. At night I convinced a group of people to do yoga with me! We have a great gym room here so we had a lot of fun with neby-yogees! At night I have a ritual struggle with the internet. The past few nights I haven't been able to get internet in my room - can be quite frustrating but welcome to Greece! Not the same amenities as home. Today we are going to the National Archeological Museum in Athens so no classes! Off to the big city!

Kalimera!

Hello again! Well, classes have begun, and we were quickly reminded that we WILL be doing homework and studying while here. The most enjoyable part so far I found is learning Greek! Not only do we have a hilarious teacher, Vicki, but it is so much more fun learning a language where you can actually practice with people everywhere you go! It's a total different experience than learning it solely in the classroom. After classes today a large group of us went into Athens ON OUR OWN. Growing up so fast! Did some shopping at H&M (No idea why these are so scarce in America!) and also went to a sandal maker's shop called The Poet. He makes leather sandals to fit your feet perfectly! Common purchase for HUGgers! We quickly ran out of time and had to go catch the metro so we wouldn't miss the last bus to Porto Rafti. I can't wait to go back so I'll have more time to explore the plaka (flee market shops). It has been quite chilly here lately and we're getting lots of rain on and off. This doesn't stop us from exploring and enjoying all our time here! Tomorrow will be much more relaxed. Bonnie and I plan to go down to a coffee shop by the water and focus on homework! Of course a walk to Yegos (local grocery store) will be made, as well. Learning something new everyday about Greece, the Greeks!, and myself. Missing everyone at home! Thanks for reading! 

Sunday in Glyfada

Yesterday we had a relaxed morning, mostly uploading pictures and catching up on facebook. We attended the evening service at the Glyfada Church of Christ because their morning one is in all Greek. However, Nic and I plan to go one Sunday to the morning service to meet more people and experience it in all Greek. Yesterday we left at 3pm but our bus driver drove to the old congregation HUG students used to attend in Ammonia, which is in downtown Athens. So we had to turn around to get back to Glyfada. We got there early to spend time walking around the town and exploring but most shops were closed. I really enjoyed worshiping with that congregation! They had about 15 people there, which included a few visitors. They currently rent a room in a hotel but are hoping to get a bigger location so they have room for bible classes and such. Almost got to hold a baby but the lady forget I wanted to till we had to leave so she said next time - pretty stoked about that. I met a man named George who's from Syria and is trying to get papers signed so he can  go study bible at Harding. I really hope he gets it! We also met a man who is learning to speak his 9th language! Deano (sp?) is the minister there and is super friendly! When we got back to the Artemis we had our first take-out pizza from Porto Rafti - pretty much amazing! Then I got to skype everyone back home last night so I wasn't very social. Nic and I decided we need to spend more time with the group at night and make an effort with that. Sometimes I'm just too tired though! Overall really good day. I loved the sermon Matt (Deano's son-in-law) gave. They had it translated in Greek which got me and Nic thinking how cool it is to hear the bible in the language it was written. I bet the Greeks understand a lot more about what words in the bible are meaning since they know the roots. Pretty cool! Can't wait to be back next Sunday. 

Day at the Acropolis

Yesterday we took an all-day tour of Athens! We spent the majority of our time touring the Acropolis. We saw many temples, the Parthenon, Mars Hill, and visited two museums. Yesterday is when I wish I had spent a little more time on my mythology homework in high school! One of the most interesting stops was on Mars Hill where Paul gave his speech of the unknown God. Our director read us the passage and we learned about what it would have been like in that day for Paul. It was an extremely interesting experience! Athens is a beautiful city! The Acropolis, which is the highest point in they city, gives an amazing view. After a full day of walking and touring, we were welcomed back to the Artemis by our dogs - whole different story! Little fact: there are about 90,000 stray dogs in Greece. We have 6 regulars that live outside our front door and walk with us in Porto Rafti. They're very protective, sometimes appreciated, and mostly quite annoying. We ate at a local Taverna for dinner and met some new friends, the owners. In general, Greeks are very reserved and it takes time to get to know them so they trust you. It's exciting to build relationships with local people in town. Tonight we will worship with the church in Glyfada. The morning service is in all Greek, but Nic and I hope to visit that sometime on our own. Jet lag is finally pretty much gone! Not used to walking so much, though, so by the end of the day everyone is exhausted! Classes start tomorrow so I'm ready to get in some sort of routine. Hopefully one afternoon this week I'll go into Athens for SHOPPING! Well, there's the update! Miss everyone at home!!

Arrival at the Artemis!

Since I left Wednesday morning time has flown by! It's now almost 11 PM on Thursday in Greece and it's finally bed time. I can't believe I'm actually here. After our long, yet thankfully uneventful flights, we finally landed in Greece. Since then, so many names of places, towns, words, rules, itineraries, and much more have been thrown at us - some sticking - some not. While I would LOVE to let you in on some common words and phrases I've already learned, I have no clue how the Greek alphabet works so there's no way I'm going to try to type them! Speaking of, it is close to impossible to know what anything is in Porto Rafti - everything is literally in all Greek. However, we did manage to get the most delicious ice cream cones while on our walking tour of the town today. I already know I'm going to have a strong weakness to the food. Well that's all I can write for now! Goodnight!

A peace that PACKS with understanding...

A dear friend sent me a verse this morning that was in every way just what I needed to be reminded of. "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give, the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27. Wow! How could I have forgotten that? 
During this whirlwind packing process I stress over whether I have enough (or too much) of everything and if I'll actually survive for four months out of my comfort zone (which I like very much), but being reminded of a peace so great that we measly little humans cannot even begin to understand is ridiculously calming. 
I leave tomorrow to meet up with the group and then fly to Athens. I have no idea what to expect, regarding anything, but am excited as this great adventure begins! Please keep all us travelers in your prayers, dear reader.